The Search For Kim Possible

Chapter One

The Interview

Sheila Go sat back in her recliner, alternately rubbing Ben Gay muscle cream on her aching muscles and sipping aged Scotch. It had been a tough day – she had prevented a client's preteen daughter from being kidnapped and actually worked up a sweat against the multiple perps, one of whom would probably never walk again. Hollywood had lots of idiots with way too much money that other idiots wanted and would do anything to get. Shego had found a way to profit from that.

Finishing the glass of liquid relaxation, she relaxed, letting out a sigh. She was making a lucrative living being a personal bodyguard for anybody who could afford her rates. Granted, she'd much rather be full-on evil and arching but she got a "Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free" card a few years earlier when she and Drakken inadvertently saved the world with Kim Possible and her buffoon sidekick and it was nice to be able to walk the streets in public not worrying about somebody trying to collect one of the many bounties that were once on her head. Her rates were excessive but she was the best and the best cost a lot. Her clientele consisted of Hollywood A-listers, foreign dignitaries, political operatives, etc. Her reputation was pristine: With over three years in business, no client had ever been harmed and she was known to be so brutal to the people she fought, just knowing she was on anybody's payroll was enough to keep trouble away. With her pardon, she couldn't consort with members of the criminal element, so she couldn't hire herself out to the mob or Mad Scientists. A pity, since those were the best paying customers.

She was about to nod off when the doorbell rang, startling her back to reality. "Goddamned it," she seethed, "everybody knows to not bother me after a gig. I must have forgotten to turn on the security system." Turning on a video monitor, she saw who was foolhardy enough to encroach on her 'me time'. To say she was surprised to see who her visitor was an understatement. Standing up, she wrapped an elegant black and green robe around her and walked to her door.

On the other side of the door was Ron Stoppable and he was trembling in apprehension of when the door would open. Getting to her door was the easy part – she lived in a mansion with iron gates, attack dogs and a formidable security system. Ron was surprised that he only had to deal with the dogs and he wasn't vaporized by the time he got to the doorway. Shego's temper was legendary and it didn't take much to set it off. Also, he knew Shego held him beneath contempt and she wouldn't think twice before physically assaulting him. He instinctively stepped back when the door opened and Shego greeted him with a scowl on her face and a curt, "What the hell do you want?"

"Uh, S-Shego," Ron stammered, intimidated by her body language.

Turning around and walking back to her living room, she motioned for Ron to follow her. "And close the door when you come in," she barked. After he closed the door, she spun around, arms to her side with her fists clenched and yelled, "What the hell did you do to my dogs?"

Stammering out the words, "Tranquilizer darts," as she stared through him with a look of anger and hatred, he was sure she would tear into him on the spot.

Seething in anger for a few seconds, she finally calmed down enough to slap her hand to her forehead and shake her head in disgust. He had gotten to her door without breaking a sweat and she would have been a sitting duck if it had been one of her enemies. Turning around, she walked toward her den.

Following her and watching as she sat down in her recliner, she motioned for him to take a seat on the couch positioned 90 degrees from where she sat.

After Ron took a seat, Shego started talking, not making eye contact with him as she poured another glass of Scotch. "Okay, buffoon, I haven't seen you in four years and I can say I haven't missed you or anybody associated with you. You better have a damned good reason for coming to my home at this time of night." The tone of her voice would made a King Cobra slither for cover.

Summoning up all his courage and trying to keep his voice steady, Ron spoke. "First of all, Shego, my name is Ron Stoppable and the reason I'm here is because KP is missing."

"KP?" Shego asked after downing a mouthful of Scotch, then dismissively waving with her left hand, "Ah, the Princess, Kimmie. Well, first of all, I don't care what your name is and why should I care if Princess is missing?"

"Because I want to hire you to find her," Ron countered.

"WTF," Shego snorted. "Buffoon, you need a private detective, not a bodyguard to the elite. BTW, you couldn't afford me."

Without saying a word, Ron reached into his pants pocket, produced a wad of bills and placed it on the coffee table next to Shego's liquor bottle. "$10,000.00, Shego. It's what I have now but I can get more if needed.

Shego's poker face broke as she scanned the wad of bills. "Okay, Stoppable, you have my attention. Speak."

"Kim disappeared two days ago," Ron started with a knot of emotion evident in his voice. "We were suppose to meet after I finished taping my TV show and..."

"Whoa, whoa! Your 'TV Show'?" Shego interrupted as she sat straighter in the chair and making eye contact with Ron.

"Yeah, I have a show on Food TV: 'Restauranting With Ron'. I go to restaurants across the country and critique them. It's in its third season. Anyway, Kim's disappeared and nobody seems to want to help me find her."

"Well, this is a good start," Shego commented as she picked up the wad of cash in front of her, "but why should I hunt for her? It's not like she and I are close friends."

"Because, "Ron started before his voice cracked from worry and grief, "because you never got a clear victory over her and you have always said that you've the only one who can kill Kim. You can't do that if she's not around."

Looking at the cash and Ron in silence, Shego remembered saying that while she saved Kim's life twice. The redhead adventurer was 8 years younger than Shego and not blessed with super powers but had earned Shego's respect after many brutal battles.

"I'll take the case," Shego finally replied, the acidic tone to her voice gone, "and I'll bring her home, alive, if possible. I'll start the search as soon as you leave but you're going to need more of this," shaking the wad of cash in the air. "Now, I need more info. When did she disappear, was she on a mission and why aren't the GJ goons looking for her? BTW, I'll call you by your name of Ron since you're now a paying customer."

"GJ says she wasn't on a mission and since she's not officially on their payroll, it's not their problem. No, she wasn't on a mission, she was finishing up a semester in college and we're suppose get together for a vacation."

"Ewwww," Shego thought without changing her expression, "Princess can do soooooo much better than this loser. Still, he's loyal to her and he does have cash, so that means something."

"Okay, Ron, why couldn't she take off for a few days and just want to be alone? I do that all the time. I mean, if she has been kidnapped, a ransom demand would be made by now. Despite what GJ is saying, if they thought she endangered National Security in any way, they would have that Will Du guy searching for her."

Ron slowly shook his head while responding, "Kim and have a special relationship, it's beyond simple friendship. She wouldn't just 'take off' and not tell me. I don't think you would understand."

Shego winced at that comment. Despite the rivalry she had with Princess, she respected Kim's backbone, ability to fight and her loyalty to friends. Truth to say, Shego held a bit of jealousy over Kim's strong relationship with her family and Ron's unconditional love for her.

Shego let out a deep sigh while pinching the top of her nose. "I'll put out a few feelers tonight and I have a few days between gigs, so I'll hit the streets tomorrow morning.

"Thank you," Ron answered as he stood up from his seat. "I left my phone number and email address with the money." Looking at Shego, tears running down his face, "Please find her."

"I will," Shego responded with conviction as she lead Ron to the door. "I'll call you with a sitrep tomorrow night. Until then, don't call me, don't follow me or distract me. You won't like the consequences if you do," she growled as her left hand ignited with green plasma.

Ron swallowed hard when he saw the glowing hand; he knew from bitter experience how Shego's plasma bolts felt. Hell, he even had a couple of scars to serve as reminders. Words failed to come as he nodded in fear, signaling to Shego the message was clear.

"Good boy," she said as her plasma bolt dissipated and she patted Ron on the back before she closed the door.

She then went to her computer and logged onto DarkNet, then to the 'Villain's Forum'. Spending a few minutes surfing the threads, she couldn't find any comments about Possible being taken hostage. Drakken wasn't alone in having the fault of bragging to everybody what his plans were or any success he had – it seemed to be a prerequisite to be a member of the Super Villain's Guild. No, none of the known perps had anything to do with Kim's disappearance.

"I need info from somebody high in the criminal world. Now who..." she thought as an evil grin came across her face. "Time to see an old friend," she thought as she opened her email program and sent a message.

End of Chapter One